


The Last Hedonist

by ERNest



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen, Hopeful Ending, Minor Character Death, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 22:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12155814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ERNest/pseuds/ERNest
Summary: "KIRK: Don't yousee? The thing with living is you'vegotto feel!"The final scene of an episode that was never written.





	The Last Hedonist

** The Final Hedonist **

> (The **HEDONIST ALIEN** , in the body it’s been slowly building through the episode, stands on a pile of rocks, towering over **KIRK** and **McCOY** )

**HEDONIST:** Captain… Kirk… Why won’t you give ussss what we need?

 **McCOY:** What you need! I think you mean—

> ( **KIRK** cuts him off by raising a hand and the Look that passes between them is a conversation all its own. **McCOY** ’s clearly says “ _are you sure you know what you’re doing?_ ” and **KIRK** half opens his mouth. It could go either way whether he’s going to shoot back a quip or admit that he doesn’t know, and then he sets his jaw and nods once.)

**KIRK:** Mr. Hedonist!

 **HEDONIST:** Ah, Kirk. You are ready to negotiate!

 **KIRK:** Ah, don’t you _see_?  
The thing with living is you’ve _got_ to feel. I know you’ll say you’ve never felt so much before, but you’re missing the real thing. It’s more than just what you can touch, understand?

 **HEDONIST:** You will explain.

 **KIRK:** Right now, everything’s good for you because it’s a new sensation, even the unpleasant bits. But humans have – and you will too if you stay like this long enough – feelings that are actually bad.

 **HEDONIST:** What is “bad” ?

 **KIRK:** Er. Not good. But it’s not what you’re thinking. It’s more than the lack of goodness or, or boredom. There’s something about the way humans are wired that makes us feel things harder. One day you’ll be hit with a wave of loneliness, or sorrow, or even jealousy! The first time, it’ll probably feel like you’re being torn apart, but you’ll push through it because that’s what we do, and the next time it might not hurt so bad.

 **HEDONIST:** We will Vanish these wires you speak of. (Its eyes begin to glow, as before.)

 **KIRK:** No-no-no-no! You can’t! See, it’s what I said before, you need to take everything we are or _nothing_ will work. Otherwise you’re just running from fear like an animal in a trap, and that’s no way to live. Believe me, I’ve tried.

 **McCOY:** Jim…

 **KIRK:** I’m fine now, Bones.

 **HEDONIST:** You are… afraid?

 **KIRK:** Yes, often. But I’m also alive, which makes all the rest worth it. If you want that for yourself, but I mean _really_ want it, we can help you. The deal is you can’t pick and choose anymore, and nothing will come instantly how you’re used to, but you’ll have your sunsets and your soft fabrics, and tears both happy and sad. What do you say?

 **HEDONIST:** I… I want to stay! Please, let me be all those things you said!

> (But the strain of holding together a body is proving too much. It distorts a few times before collapsing. **KIRK** signals **McCOY** over to the body)

**McCOY:** I’m doing what I can, but I don’t think it’ll be enough.

 **HEDONIST:** This is pain!

 **KIRK:** Yes, I imagine it is. I’m sorry.

 **HEDONIST:** Help us be ourselves through this fear! Oh, the awful fear!

> ( **KIRK** kneels down alongside **McCOY** and they each take a hand. The **HEDONIST** ’s breaths grow more labored until they stop entirely. There is a slow unravelling which seems too fast and sudden, and then the makeshift body is gone. Finally, out of the deafening silence: )

**KIRK:** Ah. Well, Bones, what do you think? Did it die for good, or has it returned to wherever it started out?

 **McCOY:** (looking at his tricorder). It’s hard to say. We knew so little about it to begin with.

 **KIRK:** Have I done the right thing? Did I kill it with too much, too soon?

 **McCOY:** Maybe so, but you did something else.

 **KIRK:** What’s that?

 **McCOY:** Right there at the very end, you gave it _hope_. That’s worth a lot.


End file.
